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Pesticide alert: 12 most contaminated fruits and veggies

You've long been told to eat your fruits and veggies - the government's new food guidelines even recommend filling half your plate with them. But pesticide residues can pose a health risk - so watch out when you consume the fruits and veggies on the Environmental Working Group's latest "Dirty Dozen" list of most contaminated produce. Keep clicking to see which produce item is the dirtiest of them all...

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12. Kale/collard greens

One sample of kale and collard greens contained 10 pesticides.

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11. Lettuce

Lettuce is one of the most likely vegetables to retain pesticide contamination.

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10. Blueberries

Domestic blueberries contained more pesticides than imported ones.

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9. Potatoes

Of potatoes tested by the group, 91.4 percent tested positive for pesticides.

8. Sweet bell peppers

7. Grapes

Imported grapes had 14 pesticides detected on a single sample, while domestic grapes contained 13.

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6. Nectarines

Every sample of imported nectarines tested positive for pesticides, with 90.8 percent containing traces of two or more pesticides.

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5. Spinach

One sample of spinach had 66 pesticides.

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4. Peaches

Peaches have typically been treated with more pesticides than any other produce, with combinations of up to 57 pesticides. Out of all peaches tested, 85.6 percent contained traces of two or more pesticides.

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3. Strawberries

Thirteen pesticides were detected on a single strawberry sample.

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2. Celery

Ninety-six percent of celery samples tested positive for pesticides. A single celery sample was contaminated with 13 pesticides.

Credit: istockphoto

1. Apples

Will an apple a day keep the doctor away? One of the most widely consumed fruits is also the most covered in pesticides, with 97.8 percent testing positive and 92 percent containing 2 or more pesticide residues.